Obituary of Al Lackner

LACKNER, ALLAN “Al”

August 12, 1933 — October 18, 2023

            Allan Edelstein “Al” Lackner, 90, passed away on October 18, 2023. Al was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many.

            Al was born in Denver on August 12, 1933, a son of Max and Anna Lackner. He graduated from Denver East High School in 1951 and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1955. Al married Sandra (“Sandy”) Antonoff in 1955 and they were married until Sandy’s death in 1975. Al married Susan Lazar Lackner in 1977 and they were married for 46 years at the time of Al’s passing.

            For most of his professional career, Al was an independent insurance agent, chiefly with First Security Insurance Agency in Denver. After retiring from the insurance business, Al found a renewed calling as a public schools substitute teacher, the administrator of BMH-BJ synagogue, working on corporate governance issues, and spent several years facilitating and teaching numerous classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Denver (“OLLI”). At OLLI, the classes Al taught or facilitated included subjects as diverse as the Japanese World War II internment, genocide, anti-Semitism, baseball, and Jewish comedy. In addition to his work with OLLI, Al was also active in the ALS Association, the Colorado Coalition of Genocide Awareness and Action, the Jewish Community Center, the American Medical Center, and Temple Emanuel. For all of his volunteer community service activities. Al received the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award in May, 2012. Then-Mayor Hancock proclaimed May 24, 2012 as “Mr Al Lackner Day” in the City and County of Denver.

            Al loved sports and cheering on Denver sports teams in particular but loved baseball the most and held a special place in his heart for his beloved Detroit Tigers. He kept fit and physically active throughout his life, and played in a weekly tennis game with a group of close friends for decades. Al was a person of many interests. He was a voracious reader on many subjects, loved jazz piano, photography, music, and movies, and took Spanish lessons from a private tutor for many years. His favorite song was the pop standard “More”.

            Al was a devoted friend to many and was much loved for his sense of humor, joie de vie, friendly and gregarious nature, and dapper appearance. He loved life and lived it to the fullest but was happiest presiding over a big table of laughing children and grandchildren at a family gathering.

            Al is survived by Susan Lackner, his loving and adoring wife of 46 years, his children Bob Lackner (Patricia), Jeffrey Lackner (Ann Marie Carosella), Zach Lazar (Sarah), and Stacey Watson (Sean) and grandchildren Jacob Lackner, Rebekah Lackner, Rachel Lackner, Elizabeth Lackner, Ben Lackner, and Finn Watson.

            Al was preceded in death by his first wife Sandy, his brothers Edward and Hersh, and his son Jamz D. Lackner.

            Al’s funeral will be held at Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape Street, Denver, Colorado, on Tuesday, October 24, at 1:00pm. Internment at Emanuel Cemetery will follow the funeral services.Livestream available on Feldman Mortuary's Youtube Channel.

Al's family will be recieving condolence calls at the home of Bob and Patricia Lackner, 820 Saint Paul St. Denver, CO 80206; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

            Charitable contributions in Al’s memory may be made to the ALS Association, or to Temple Emanuel